You Don’t Need to Pay for Distraction-Blocking Software

Wish you looked at your phone less? Then you’ve probably heard of Brick, a $59 device that claims to help you block distractions. You tap your phone against the Brick when you want to avoid distractions—the bundled software stops you from opening whichever apps you’ve decided you need to stop doomscrolling. The idea is to add a physical barrier between you and apps like Instagram—if you want to scroll, you need to physically get up, find the Brick, and tap it. It’s a good idea, and implemented in a way that makes it easy to get started. But what if you don’t want to buy a chunk of plastic? Good news: the Brick is basically just an NFC chip, not that different from the one in your credit card or passport. You can buy a blank NFC chip for a dollar. Even better, free applications can use these chips to block distractions, exactly like the Brick. Or, if you prefer, these apps also support QR codes, meaning all you need is a printer. Here are two free distraction-blocking apps—complete with physical barriers—for iPhone or Android. Best for iPhones: Foqos The oddly named Foqos is a free, open source app for iOS by Canadian developer Ali Waseem. Many open source apps lack polish, but not this one—it’s easy to configure the necessary permissions, set up a profile, and start blocking distractions. While creating a new profile, you first choose which physical object you want to use to start and stop your blocking sessions. The two most popular options are NFC tags (there’s a handy link to buy some in the app) or a QR code. But you can also block using a daily schedule, if you prefer, or by scanning any barcode. The barcode option is nice because you don’t need to buy or print anything—scan the code on your favorite book, beverage, or anything else you keep around the house. Foqos can block you from managing apps while a profile is running. This means you can’t just delete Foqos to get around a block you set up, which is exactly what someone fighting against their own urges needs. You can allow a limited number of breaks, if you want. I’ve been using this to break my Reddit habit and can report that it works. I keep a printed QR code inside a cabinet, far from the couch where I tend to scroll. It creates just enough friction that I can finish reading a book instead. The application has an excellent privacy policy—no data leaves your device. Best for Android: Switchly Foqos is sadly iOS-exclusive, and I couldn’t find an Android equivalent that’s quite as polished. But Switchly, by Vienna-based developer Saltyy, stands out as one of the more feature-complete apps I tested. You will need to spend some time fiddling to get it set up, granted, but once you do, you’ll find it every bit as flexible as Foqos. To get started, open the app, which you can install from Google Play. A wizard will guide you through the relevant permissions, then talk you through setting up your first profile. You will need to read everything carefully, because it’s a little bit tough to navigate the first time. You can block apps and URLs. You can use an NFC chip or a QR code to trigger locking and unlocking. You can also block based on a schedule; Premium users can trigger when connected to a particular Wi-Fi network, or when a certain Bluetooth device is nearby. If you’d rather not block Instagram entirely, but never want to see a Reel again, good news: there’s support for blocking particular features inside certain apps. The feature is labeled as experimental, but worked well in my testing. There’s a lot of flexibility, but Android’s open nature means how well it works depends in part on your phone model. The developer acknowledges this. Also, you don’t need the Premium version—the free tier offers plenty of features for most people. Another application Android users should check out is Lock. This app is more polished than Switchly, but only supports NFC chips. Give it a try if Switchly doesn’t quite work the way you like. Distractions don’t just live on your phone. We’ve written about how to block websites on your computer, with multiple free options. But let’s face it: the phone is the ultimate distraction machine. Learn to control your impulses there.